


Paralyzed

by Generouslyinnercheesecake



Series: Commish [3]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Accident, Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Paralyzed, Parapalegic, Physical Disability, Pride, Pride Parades, Wheelchairs, theyre lesbians harold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:13:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25600108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Generouslyinnercheesecake/pseuds/Generouslyinnercheesecake
Summary: Cassandra Cain is one of the most trained fighters in the world.Everything changes when she has to blow through a straw to move.Requested by @wombatking on Tumblr!
Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain
Series: Commish [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855459
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Paralyzed

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Before we begin I would like to give a huge thank you to @wombatking on Tumblr! They actually requested/paid for this prompt! Go ahead and check them out if you can <3 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING
> 
> I’ll be honest, this was out of my comfort zone, but it felt good writing something new! Ill see y’all at the bottom!

Cassandra Cain was a skilled fighter. An honorable fighter. Someone anyone and everyone could depend on. Trained by masters of her subject, she was able to rise as one of the best fighters in the world, sometimes beside the Batman.

So when she woke up in the hospital, paralyzed from the shoulders down, she felt her entire world crumble around her.

Cass could faintly hear Bruce talking with the doctor in the hallway. Most likely about her injuries—if they were permanent, types of treatment, etc. Cass attempted to lift her fingers, feel something besides the pounding in her head and the pounding of her heart.

It was three minutes later that Bruce came through the door, eye bags too prevalent and body language too weary. She felt her heart sink when she saw the look he gave her.

It was most likely permanent.

She could be like this for the rest of her life.

* * *

Stephanie was too pretty for her. Especially too pretty in that purple two-piece bikini that only extenuated her pretty curves.

Cass stood there in her monochrome one-piece, the sun beating on her tan skin. She was lucky she wasn’t so pasty like Tim, since she couldn’t sunburn so easily. Stephanie was, at times, pasty too, but she knew how to get a proper tan.

The three of them were lounging around the poolside. It was a hot summer day, and Steph had suggested all three of them take a dip to get their strained minds off a recent case. Tim had figured out who the purp was of a drug ring, but they needed to wait until tonight to catch him. Cass was supposed to go on patrol with him, as she was better with covert than the rest of the family. Even Bruce.

She lived in silence. Where she was comfortable.

“We should, like, actually go in,” Steph interrupted her thoughts, picking her feet up back into the concrete to run to the deepest end of the pool. Cass smiled, a small lilt of the lips, and Tim chuckled beside her.

Tim was nice. He was more accepting of their relationship than anyone else. Don’t read Cass wrong, she knew the rest of the family approved, but there was a difference between approving and not being so overprotective.

Tim knew. He knew how a relationship with Steph was like. It was magical, spontaneous, but at times reckless. Steph was the kindest person Cass had ever met, but she had her faults.

“I’ll score your dives!” Tim yelled from the poolside when Cass got up to stand beside her girlfriend.

Cass raised a curious eyebrow. Score their dives?

“Most people do it as a game,” Tim explained. “It’s just for fun.” Cass nodded as a response.

Steph went first. She raised her hands above her head, blended down, then gracefully dived into the pool, rising to the surface less than five seconds later. Cass clapped with a wide smile. She had never dived before, but it didn’t look too hard. Cass was a master at imitating and doing.

“Five outta ten!” Tim scored, and Steph scowled.

“What the hell, Birdboy? That was perfect!”

Tim shook his head. “Your feet were all wonky,” he told her, and she rolled her eyes fondly.

She swam to the other side of the pool to give Cass some space. “C’mon, Babe!” Cass hesitated, but followed her lead, her dive slightly wonky, like Steph’s, but still beautiful and graceful as her fighting style.

Steph cheered for her, while Tim gave a perfect score. Cass grinned. It was a perfect day.

* * *

Steph hated the plastic chairs in the Gotham General waiting room. They were creaky, old, and dirty.

Her hands were shaking. She couldn’t help the tremors going through her body. Cass was hurt. She could be hurt for forever.

All because she told her to-

She faintly heard Tim sitting beside her with his new coffee cup in his hand. She didn’t say anything when she saw he was shaking too. “Heard anything?” Tim asked quietly, bringing the plastic cup to his lips.

Steph simply shook her head, stuffing her shaky hands under her thighs.

Tim bit his lip, then said, “Should I text Bruce? Just to...see what’s going on?”

Steph’s shoulders dropped. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out sooner or later.” She took a deep breath, trying to control the rising tears in her eyes. “Just.” Tim turned to her, eyes full of concern that she didn’t deserve. “Please distract me.”

Tim, without a word, opened his phone, then began explaining a different case they were working on. He pointedly ignored the case he was supposed to be working on with Cass. They were supposed to catch the perp three days ago.

* * *

Bruce looked directly at her while he explained all of her injuries. She liked that about him. She would rather he tell her the full extent than spare her feelings. She could handle the emotional outcome when she had time.

For now, she was trying to convince herself that physical therapy would work. It had to work. She had to walk again.

The doctors had to be wrong.

* * *

“I will get a better score!” Cass declared with confidence. Steph giggled from the side of the pool, where she was sitting with Tim. They had been splashing each other, enjoying the summer sun in the pool since Cass had done her first dive.

“Go get ‘em, Babe!” Steph shouted while kicking the water. Cass giggled and readied herself to jump in.

All the remembered was the water rushing under her, a resounding crack, and someone screaming her name in a panic. She thought it was Stephanie

* * *

Bruce came out into the waiting room an hour later. His button up was fussed around with, and his face was the imagine of exhausted. Even more exhausted than the sleepless nights catching killers and deadly clowns.

Steph immediately rose from her chair, completely ignoring Tim’s rambling about the Ashton case. Tim stopped talking when he felt her stand up, then followed her lead.

“Is she okay? Will she be okay? Did the doctor say it was-“ Steph blurt out, not caring for being too loud for everyone else in the waiting room. That didn’t matter when Cass was hurting.

Bruce interrupted her. “She’s paralyzed from the shoulders down.” He hesitated, then: “It’s likely permanent.”

Steph felt her heart drop into her guts. Tim’s eyes widened. They both remained completely still.

There was a long moment of silence before Tim croaked out, “Is she okay?”

They all knew it didn’t mean physically.

“She’s in denial,” Bruce answered.

“I wanna see her,” Steph stated quickly. Bruce looked at her, seeming to analyze her, then nodded curtly.

“240.” Steph nodded, then went to find Cass’ room.

* * *

Steph didn’t bother knocking on the door.

When the blonde woman saw the state of her girlfriend, she tried to hold back her tears. To hold back that self-deprecating voice in her head. To hold back for Cass.

But she also knew she was a compassionate person. She needed to cry. She knew she couldn’t lose herself and fall into a dark place for this. She needed to be herself, because who else could she be?

“Stephanie,” Cass murmured with a dry throat. She had gulped down some water earlier to get rid of the hoarseness, but it proved to not work.

Stephanie couldn’t help herself. She burst into sobs. The gut-wrenching, chest-quaking wails that stripped her of all her civility, of her self-control.

Cass’ expression twisted into one of concern. “Stephanie?” She called out, though this time it was much more sympathetically.

Steph waved a single hand around, as though trying to get rid of her negative mood. “I’m,” she hiccuped, “Sorry, Cass. All my fault,” she sobbed out. Cass’ expression softened even more, making Steph feel even worse. She didn’t deserve her sympathy, she deserved help. Help all because of Stephanie.

Cass remained silent, her heart twisting as she heard her girlfriend’s shaky sobs. Then: “Come here, Babe.”

Steph took a deep breath, then followed her request. Without much thought, she held her girlfriend’s limp hand, continuing to cry.

“It will be okay.” Was faintly heard over Steph’s cries.

* * *

It was a wheelchair designed for quadriplegics, with a straw to activate moving, though the type of movement differed on how hard she either sucked or puffed.

It was hard to adjust.

Cass knew how to use the new wheelchair. Bruce made sure to get the best model in the market, which she greatly appreciated. Though that meant nothing when she was left to do nothing with her paralyzed hands.

Her mind felt busy but her body said otherwise, and it was absolutely infuriating.

Cass was taught to endure torture. To work off it and adapt. But now?

How could she endure something she couldn’t feel?

* * *

Babs helped her with physical therapy at the manor. It sometimes felt impossible with having to deal with her lack of motion.

“Move,” Cass ordered to her hand. Babs chuckled beside her, though it sounded more sad than anything to Cass. “Why not move?” She demanded, turning her eyes onto Babs.

The woman’s mouth stuttered.“Bruce wanted me to talk to you, Cassandra.” She’s about to tell her horrible news, Cass noticed. “The doctor says it’s unlikely you’re able to use anything below your shoulders again.”

Cass immediately shook her head vehemently as much as she could. “No.”

Barbara sighed heavily. “Listen,” and she was all business, “I know it’s hard to some to terms with all of this.” Understatement of the year. “But it’s important that you know you’re not useless.”

Cass stared at her. She was telling the truth. The doctor told them that. But this couldn’t be true. She had been working for three months on physical therapy. And all for nothing?

“Stephanie,” Cass blurted out. She needed Steph. She needed her comfort. Her cherry scent and soft hands.

Barbara nodded wordlessly and wheeled her way to get Steph. Steph was always at the manor now, willing to live there to help her girlfriend with anything she needed. It’s not that the others weren’t willing to help Cass, it only meant that Steph was doting.

Steph ran into the room where Cass was having trouble breathing from the incessant tears running down her face. “Cass,” Steph kneeled in front of her. She guessed she got the news and it only now sunk in the permanence of her injury. “Baby,” Steph whispered, cradling Cass’ face with her soft hands.

Cass continued sobbing, Steph’s cherry scent filling her nostrils.

* * *

Cass was wheeled into her room with the help of Stephanie. “Lights,” Cass ordered, and the lights turned on. Bruce had installed voice technology in her room in order to give her more independence. He could tell she was frustrated with having little to no independence with this injury.She had to ask Alfred to help feed her, for god’s sake.

Steph wheeled Cass to her bed, then easily picked up the young woman, placing her in the fluffy covers of her bed. Steph looked down at her.

“Comfy?” Steph asked cutely. Cass smiled as a response, and Steph nodded, satisfied that she able to make her girlfriend smile after her previous breakdown. Without a utter of a word, Steph ran to the other side of the bed and laid down next to her partner. Cass’ eyebrows furrowed.

“Wanna cuddle...” Steph offered as an explanation. The smile that split Cass’ face was something Stephane took pride in.

* * *

The next morning was much better.

Steph got to feed Cass her her breakfast without much resistance. It made Steph feel better when she was able to take care of her girlfriend. She had no doubt that Cass felt some shame in allowing Steph to help her, but Steph needed to take her out of that mindset.

She needed to repent for what she did to Cass.

An idea popped into Steph’s head when she saw it was sunny day in Gotham for once. “We should go to the park,” she suggested. Cass’ smile was her unique response, and Steph smiled back at her.

“How ‘bout...” Steph began as she got up from her chair, where she was feeding Cass, to raid the fridge. “We pack a picnic. We can go in a few hours with some sandwiches or something.”

Cass grinned, her eyes crinkling and all. “Yes,” she replied. Steph turned to her, and couldn’t help but feel more pride when she saw Cass’ exited smile.

* * *

It was five hours later when they left the manor to go to the park. Though it was a beautiful day, this Gotham. There was still trash littering park, and patches of dirt where there should be grass. But it was so Gotham that Cass didn’t mind much. She’s seen much worse places.

Cass told Steph off when she began rolling her to a park bench. Steph had seemed shocked, but complied by Cass’ demand and began walking beside her as Cass puffed in her straw.

Steph made mindless, one-sided talk while they walked a lap around the park and eventually settled on a park bench. Cass liked when Steph just talked. Her voice was calming, yet could also be smart and sharp. It was admirable when Steph was simultaneously the sweet woman Cass knew she was while also the stubborn, hardheaded one. Steph helped complete her sentences for her.

But Cass also knew she sometimes held responsibility when she shouldn’t. She was compassionate like that.

“Not your fault,” Cass murmured while Stephanie shuffled through the small bag they had brought for their lunch.

Steph stopped when she heard her girlfriend. “What...?” She hesitated, expression becoming sad. Her eyes were downward, lips pursed, and eyebrows lowered expressively.

“The accident,” Cass supplied, pointedly looking down at her wheelchair. “Not your fault.” Steph opened her mouth, as if she were going to debate, but Cass gave her a vicious glare. “Not. Your. Fault,” she affirmed yet again.

Steph felt her lip tremble and tears begin to fall down her face. “Cass...” she whispered.

“An accident is an accident. No one’s fault,” Cass said again, much softer when she saw Steph’s bottom lip weakly tremble.

Steph let out a long breath, not hesitating to flop herself onto her girlfriend as a form of hug. “I’m sorry...” she kept repeating, and Cass wanted so badly to hug her back.

It was after a few minutes that Steph pulled away, her eyes free of tears yet tracks still on her. She rubbed her face to get rid of those tracks, then smiled back at Cass. It was genuine. “I’m-I’m okay now,” Steph told her when she saw the soft look Cass’ eyes gave away. “It’s just. Good to hear that from you,” Steph got out.

“Nobody thought that. I know,” Cass commented. Steph chuckled. She knew her girlfriend was able to read anyone and everyone’s intentions, so there was no doubt she was telling the truth. Which was reassuring.

“Ah,” Steph muttered once she looked around the crowded park. Apparently every other Gothamite wanted to go out while the sun was shining too. “That’s...embarrassing,” she commented lamely.

Cass’ twinkling laughter was beautiful. Steph loved it when she laughed.

“It’s ok,” Cass responded sweetly. Steph giggled. “Eat,” Cass demanded with no malice in her voice. Steph’s giggles became louder, but she complied and opened the ziplock bag to take a sandwich out.

She began feeding it to Cass, and for the first time since her injury, neither of them felt guilty.

* * *

“Babe!” Steph yelled after her, a laugh choking her words. “Gimme my phone!”

Cass grinned and shook her head as she harshly blew the straw to keep moving forward. Steph’s phone was open and on her lap. Steph had foolishly placed it on her lap so she could braid Cass’ dark hair. At least Cass respected her enough to begin rolling when she finished her hair, though.

Eventually Cass ran out of air, and had to stop to take a few deep breaths. Steph stopped laughing when she saw she had stopped. “You okay, Babe?” She asked concernedly.

Cass nodded, a breathless smile still on her face. “Breath,” she offered as an explanation, and Steph nodded in response. The blonde woman cupped Cass’ cheek fondly as she got her breath back, knowing it would help soothe her.

“You can keep the phone,” Steph told her kindly. “At least until I leave for work,” she teased.

Cass, with her breath back, looked down at the phone with a distant, fond look, then up to Steph. “I know.”

“If you want,” Steph began, “We can play that stupid word game on my phone.”

Cass grinned. “Yes.”

Steph chuckled, then opened the app, showing Cass the screen and putting in the words she knew. Cass was more than content.

* * *

It had become a weekly occurrence to go to the park. Sometimes Jason would join them, sometimes Dick. The eldest would talk endlessly about anything he could think of. Cass knew it was mostly to fill in empty silence.

Although she did appreciate the support she received from the rest of her family.

Damian was willing and even felt some accomplishment when he assisted Cass with anything she needed help with. She knew Tim felt guilty too, about the incident, but she alleviated his worries through small words of encouragement, and for that he returned his own words of his encouragement. Bruce, despite his busy schedule, always made time for her, whether that by taking her to the ballet or watching a movie with her. It was a way for both of them to relax, and Cass only knew that because whenever Bruce visited her his eyes lightened with relief, knowing she was safe and at home with people who cared for her. Jason visited often, as did Duke.

* * *

Therapy was necessary, Bruce had insisted. It was true: her mental state was at its worst after the accident.

But she had had trouble with articulating her feelings.

Her therapist, Sierra, however, was trained to understand mute and partially mute people, so she asked specific questions to interpret Cass’ feelings without the questions being so explicit.

Cass liked her therapist. She was patient, and her blonde hair reminded Cass of Steph’s. Cass thinks she would’ve been a teacher if they hadn’t become a therapist, since her demeanor was motherly. Motherly in a way Cass found comforting and calming, something she only experienced with one other person: Selina.

* * *

Selina would sometimes come to the manor to not only see Bruce, but also his children. She hadn’t gone to the manor since before the incident. So when December arrived and she visited the manor for the holidays, she hadn’t expected Cass to be in a wheelchair.

Selina kneeled down in front of her, concern painted across her expression. “What happened, Kitten?” She asked softly. Motherly.

Cass liked that nickname. It felt personal. It was so...Selina.

Steph stepped into the room, two cups of nutmeg (that Cass personally thought was too sugary but only drank for her girlfriend, who absolutely loved it) in her hands.

“Selina!” Steph exclaimed, putting the cups on the nearest table and rushing over the hug the other woman. Selina smiled wide and prettily. “I missed you,” Steph whispered in her shoulder, suddenly feeling teary but not knowing why.

Selina was the one to pull away from the hug, and Cass could hear her murmur fondly under her breath, “Such an octopus...like Dickie.” Cass chuckled.

Selina turned to her again. “So,” she began, her arms crossing over her chest. “You gonna tell me what happened?”

Cass pursed her lips, then replied, “It was an accident. That’s all.”

Steph nodded when Selina looked at her. However, Selina continued, “Should I beat up the Big Bat?”

Cass couldn’t help but giggle when she heard Steph mutter, “Well, not for that reason. But yes.”

Selina seemed to think for moment, then without hesitation, placed a soft kiss on Cass’ forehead. “You’re gonna be okay, Kitten.”

Cass couldn’t help but believe her.

_Motherly._

* * *

It was a few months later when June hit.

June was Cass and Steph’s month: Pride Month. It was Steph with little subtlety wearing rainbows everyday and Cass not being so afraid to kiss her girlfriend publicly. But most of all, it meant Pride parades.

Cass was slightly scared to go to one. With her new physical state she was spooked with having to be with all those people. She had never been in such a big crowd with a wheelchair before.

Fortunately, Barbara reassured her by saying people with disabilities were given more space during parades, especially Pride ones. So that fear transformed into anticipation.

Cass loved going out, especially now. Without being able to patrol (or do really any physical activity), she always felt her energy bottling up until she would breakdown about not being able to move anything below her shoulders. Babs and Steph were always there for her when that happened, and they helped her adjust by going to parks at least once a week. They had also gone to restaurants and zoos. Cass loved the animals there, and unashamedly named each and every one of them.

So when they planned to go to a parade? Outside? For a few hours? Cass nearly cried with happiness.

The whole family was dragged with them, although they didn’t resist much. Steph had simply ordered them to go and they did not argue. That is, except Damian, but they all knew he was far from homophobic.

Dick was decked in Pride gear head to toe, Jason simply had a yellow and pink pin on his leather jacket. How he was wearing that in hot weather was beyond Steph. Bruce was wearing a simple, boring businessman suit and Damian copied his father. Tim was wearing a sweatshirt and jean shorts, a few pins scattered on his clothing.

Steph was wearing blue and pink socks, jean shorts, a rainbow crop top, and had some blue paint under he left eye and pink under the other. The example of bisexual. Cass was wearing a simple skirt with a white top. On the top was a picture in the middle—it had the disability symbol over the rainbow pattern. Steph had also insisted her girlfriend wear some paint on her face as well.

The parade was jam-packed with people of all color, all disabilities, and all genders. It was a representation of the Pride community in more ways than one. Allies were there to give little pride flags. Gay men were dancing down the street. Lesbians were shamelessly kissing. It was beautiful to Cass: a complete representation of freedom and expression.

Steph kissed her without shame. Dick was a walking rainbow flag. Jason cheered on the people walking down the parade route. Damian smiled when he saw kids his age expressing themselves. Tim high-fived everyone walking past him. Bruce looked upon the entire scene with pride.

Cass felt something flutter in her chest. Something she could recognize as pure happiness: life-long contentment.

Steph was standing beside her, yelling and screaming over the blaring music. And Cass knew she would keep her life-long contentment as long as she were with Stephanie Brown.

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo,,,how was it? Don’t be afraid to comment! 
> 
> Have a great day and all love! <3


End file.
